A Beautiful Unfolding
by loveyoumeanitbye
Summary: Tina and Artie were best friends up until she moved. Now sophomore year brings Tina Cohen-Chang back to Lima. But everything has changed including the Artie she left behind years ago. Will things go back to the way they were? Artie and Tina.
1. School

**A Beautiful Unfolding**

**AU: Tina and Artie have been best friends since they were born. She lived next door to him and their mom's were the best of friends. The two were the definition of inseparable until Tina's dad was promoted and they had to move to New York when she was seven years old. Now Artie is a sophomore at McKinley High. While in homeroom he gets reacquainted with his old best friend. How will she react to him in a wheelchair? Will they drift apart now that Tina is beautiful and grown-up or will everything go back to the way it was before she left? An old rekindled young love! **

**I DO NOT OWN GLEE.**

[PRE-KINDERGARTEN]

Artie Abrams clutched onto his mom's hand as they waited outside of the Cohen-Chang residence. He was getting impatient and wanted to get a move on.

Mrs. Abrams knocked on the door and watched as Mrs. Cohen-Chang opened it, "Sarah, Artie!" She greeted them with hugs and gave Artie a kiss to the forehead.

"Hi Ms. Lucy." He waited until Mrs. Cohen-Chang and his mom were so absorbed in their conversation to wipe his glossy forehead. _Women _he shook his head, he tapped his foot against the wooden floor while waiting for Ms. Lucy's daughter to appear.

"Where's Tina?" He asked with an inquisitive expression. Her mom looked down at the little boy. His chocolate brown hair combed in a side part, his bangs hung loosely over his forehead, and all the while his piercing blue eyes stared up at her. She couldn't help but smile at her best friend's son. She smiled a bright smile and ruffled his hair, "Sorry Artie I'll go get her."

She made her way into the kitchen and he heard her call her daughter, "Tin Tin Artie's here." Tina grabbed her baby blue cookie monster backpack and ran toward the door.

"Hi Ms. Sarah!" The little girl timidly walked over to the woman. Sarah's eyes lit up at her best friend's little girl and picked her up and held her to her chest. She admired the waist long black streaks and the adorable squinty eyes. She gave the dark brown eyed child a kiss to the cheek as she hugged her back.

Sarah brought her back down and turned to her best friend, "Okay so I'll pick them up later and Tina can go play with Artie until you get home?"

"Mom can we go now? I want to get to school." Her blue eyed son tugged at her skirt pleading to get a move on.

"Hold on sweets." She kissed his head and waited for Lucy's response.

"Sounds good, I should be back around 5 so I'll come by later. Come here baby." She pulled her daughter over, and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "I love you, have a first good day and mommy will be at Ms. Sarah's to pick you up at five. Your lunch is in your backpack, I added chocolate chip cookies in there, your favorite." She brought her in for a quick hug and released her so she could walk to school with her best friend and her son. "Take care of her Artie."

Artie nodded, she always told Artie that whenever they went somewhere without her, "Okay Ms. Lucy."

The door closed and soon the two kids left with Ms. Sarah. She held their hands while they crossed the street and turned right walking halfway down the street to their school.

"Artie, Tina we're here!" She squealed while the other kids walked in with their parents. "Can I get a picture of my babies before their first day of school?"

Her son let out a huff while Tina looked away sheepishly. He grabbed at her hand and pulled her in front of the school sign, "Come on so we can go in already. You know mom." He rolled his eyes. He placed a secured arm around her shoulder. She smiled at his touch and placed her arm around his waist.

She loved how he dressed like such a gentleman like her daddy. Today he wore a plaid blue and orange shirt with buttons. He wore black slacks and he tucked his shirt into pants with a black belt tying it all together. His power ranger light up sneakers made her giggle.

Once his mom took a picture of him he turned to her and narrowed his eyes, "What's so funny Tin Tin?" He asked with a playful smile. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Nothing MOM!" Her mom and occasionally her dad called her Tin Tin but it got on her nerves whenever anyone else called her that.

He laughed and he placed his arm back around her, "Today's going to be so fun Tee. We're going to school! We get to read, play, write, and talk to other kids!" Artie was always the little genius; Tina wouldn't be surprised if her best friend got to skip a grade next year or something.

"Whoopee." She twirled her finger in a circle and the pair laughed.

While the two were wrapped up in conversation Sarah snapped a picture without their knowledge. Artie was always such a sweetheart when it came to her best friend's daughter. He wouldn't admit it to her but Tina was his best friend. Once she saw her son trying to sneak a bag of newly made chocolate chip cookies next door. When she questioned who they were for he tried to cover it up by saying it was for Tina's puppy 'Porky.'

But then when Artie went to go give it to her he forgot the card he had made. She picked it up and opened the blue construction paper. Her fingers grazed the first sentence her son had ever written, "To my best friend Tina because cookies are your favorite." She giggled as she turned it over to find a drawing of a little boy with big blue eyes and brown hair with his arm around a girl with dark black hair and brown eyes.

She was definitely sure that her son had a little crush on his best friend he just would never admit it—especially to his mom. She'd have to put her husband Richard up for investigation another time.

"Kids come on you have to get to class, but come here first!" She pulled her son in for a hug, "I love you Artie." He smiled and cautiously hugged her back, "Come on mom school is waiting for us!" She smiled at her son's anxiousness. Just like his nerdy father.

She embraced Tina with a huge hug, she always had a special love for her best friend's daughter, after all it was her that took Lucy to the hospital when her husband Darren was out of the state on business. She did have her baby a month earlier than expected. But she was there to help her best friend deliver Tina.

"Bye sweet heart." She kissed her and Artie pulled Tina by the hand and ran up the stairs.

"Bye mom!" She giggled and let her eyes wander back to her camera. She couldn't wait to frame this picture just like the countless ones she had of her two kids. One day she knew they were going to want them. When they came into the classroom Artie's eyes widen at the sight, Tina stifled her giggle at his expression, "This is so cool Tee! We're finally in school."

She smiled at him studying his face, "Yup so exciting."

**AN: What do you think? The first few chapters are focused on when they're kids, and I have a bunch of chapters done already so if people like it I'll be happy to update soon! **


	2. Best Friend

**I DO NOT OWN GLEE**

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A young woman in her mid-twenties smiled at them, "Hi I'm Ms. Chloe. It's so nice to meet you two." She had a shade of dark blonde hair, light brown eyes, and a scintillating smile.

"Hi I'm Arthur Abrams, but you can call me Artie." He pointed over to Tina who shyly stood behind him, "That's Tina Cohen-Chang; just call her Tina because she hates it when people who aren't her parents call her Tin Tin. But since I'm her best friend she lets me call her Tee." Ms. Chloe inwardly smiled as the adorable little boy spoke on behalf of his best friend. The two must have been good friends ever since they were born to be interacting the way they did.

"Pleasure to meet you two, how about you place your bags on the hooks and put your jackets in your cubbies and take a seat on the clock rug."

She pointed them in the right direction and introduced herself to the other kids. Artie watched as Tina played with the little charm bracelet around her wrist. She always tugged at the little teddy bear charm her dad gave her when she got nervous.

"It's all right Tee." He placed a hand on her arm and she looked up at him and smiled. "I'm going to be here all day, so no need to be nervous."

She felt herself relax under his touch. Whenever Artie was around her nerves did seem to subside. She looked around the circle and watched as numerous kids sat down. A tall boy with shaggy brown and blonde hair sat beside Artie. He was pretty tall and had a nice smile, "Hey I'm Finn Hudson. My dad was in the war but he died." He said still smiling.

Artie felt Tina tense up under his hand but he gave her an encouraging tap, "Oh hi, I'm Artie, this is my best friend Tina!"

"Hi!" Tina smiled and waved while Finn waved back.

"Hey nice to meet you guys! Hmm…when's lunch I'm starving?" The three kids chuckled and soon Tina felt a pat on her shoulder.

"Excuse me." She looked up and found a girl with dark black hair, brown skin, and brown eyes smiling down at her. She wore the prettiest blue top and pink pants. "I'm Mercedes Jones, and I was wondering if I could sit next to you?" She sounded timid which made Tina feel a little more comfortable. The knowledge of knowing people were just as scared made her less scared.

"Sure, I'm Tina, this is my best friend Artie, and that's Finn Hudson." The two boys waved and soon Mercedes was feeling comfortable.

"Hi-yah!" She giggled and the rest of the kids laughed along with her.

"Hello fellow classmates, my name is Rachel Berry. My daddies have decided that I have to attend school while I'm trying to become an actress. So that is why I'm here. Please hold all flash photography while we're at school." She held up her hand and sat down with the brightest smile.

"That girl is cuh-razy." Mercedes whispered over to the group while they laughed in response. Finn was too busy staring at the newest girl to come in after Rachel.

"She's beautiful." His eyes went wide when she sat down across from him. She waved and introduced herself, "I'm Quinn Fabray. Pleasure to meet all of you." Rachel felt her eyes tense up; this girl was getting all the attention. Before she could say something that could bring the girl's confidence down more kids came in with Ms. Chloe. That day Artie and Tina met fifteen other students who made them laugh and they truly enjoyed their company.

When Sarah picked them up she couldn't control the stories that the kids wanted to share with her, "Rachel, the loud girl, the one always saying she's going to be a star? Well the new kid Noah, or he wants us to call him Puck, which we will cause he's big and kind of scary. He pushed her swing…"

Sarah turned to the kids sitting on their plastic playskool table with a happy grin, "How nice of him."

Her son shook his head furiously before taking a bite of his cookie, "No mom, he pushed her out of the swing."

"It was bad; she screamed at him and pushed him back." Tina concluded; Sarah frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"That was not nice at all."

Artie nodded while Tina took a bite of her cookie, "Yeah then he turned to me and said he was going to marry her one day. Puck's scary and weird."

His mom knew Puck's ulterior motives, some boys tormented the girls they were in love with, this boy Puck must really like this Rachel girl. Fortunately her son was more of a sweetheart to his crush.

Tina finished the cookie and drank her milk, Sarah gushed at the sight; her son offered her his last cookie, making up his mind that he wouldn't take it back. She smiled in delight and ate it happily.

"Thanks Artie." When she smiled at him in reply a blush covered the edges of her son's ears. Even his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"No problem." He felt his mom stare and glared at her. He loved his mom completely but she was really embarrassing sometimes. Tina was just his friend and there she was making it out to be more. It wasn't more, it wasn't.

She grabbed the empty cups and gave it to his mom, "Thanks Ms. Sarah." She said in appreciation and Artie met beside her.

"Mom can me and Tee go outside and play?"

His puppy pout and big bold eyes made her pretty much surrender on the spot, "Go ahead, I'll watch you guys from the window."

He nodded over and grabbed Tina's hand. The two raced off and soon she found her son running across the yard like a jet plane.

"This is Artie, over." He ran his tiny legs around Tina as she sat with her legs crossed on the ground.

"Hi Artie, this is the control center, over!" She giggled at their make believe game. Yesterday they were pirates sailing the seven seas, the day before they were explorers in the deepest jungles, and the day before that they were treasure hunters digging up the special coins his mom placed in the sandbox for them to find.

"Coming in for a landing, over." He soon quieted his voice and sat right beside Tina who was in a laughing state.

She smiled calming down, "I love playing these games Artie."

He nodded in agreement, "So do I." He watched her lay back in the grass and studied her face as she stared up at the sky. He loved her squinty eyes and pouty cheeks, almost as if she were a chipmunk. She was really quite adorable and sweet too. She was always sharing things with him, hugging him when he was sad, and listened to him whenever he just felt like talking. He always had these little bursts of happiness when he was around her. Something that never occurred around anyone else, he wondered what it could be.

She felt his glance on her then looked up at him, "What?" She asked softly. Her hands lay contently on her stomach as he watched her from his sitting position.

"This is nice Tee." His simple statement made her smile break out.

"It is." He didn't know what came over him, he watched his dad do it so many times when he lay in bed with his mom when he came home from work. He saw a little lavender flower sitting beside her with specks of blue on it. He reached over and plucked it from the ground.

He pushed back some of her hair to the side revealing her little ears. He nestled the flower stem behind her left ear and smiled. She looked at his side smirk and she felt her lips turn upward by the thoughtful act, "How do I look?" She asked sweetly, sitting up as he touched her arm.

"You look perfect." He pulled her over and placed a small kiss just above her eyebrows. She giggled and picked up a matching flower beside him. She placed it in his side chest pocket and bobbed her head with certainty.

"Now we both have one." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank-you!"

"You too Tee." He could have sworn he felt random sprits of light come over them but ignored it because he was enjoying this way too much. It was their best play day yet.

As they sat and enjoyed each other's company he felt a single drop fall atop his head, "We should get inside." He instantly grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house where his mom was already waiting with an open door.

"Come on kids don't want to get wet." She took them into the living room and lit the fire. She brought out a warm blue blanket and laid it on the floor for the kids to sit on beside the fire. She had prepared some ingredients to make s'mores and some skewers to twirl over the fire.

Sarah watched in contentment as her son and his friend laughed about more stories from school. She noticed how protective he got over her when she got a little closer to the fire, and he insisted to roast her marshmallow for her. Then she returned the favor when he got some chocolate over his mouth and she took a napkin to wipe it off. The two kids were so young and yet acted so wise beyond their age.

She could tell her son truly loved his friend in not just a friendship setting but a romantic setting. He was not even old enough to walk the street alone and yet he knew how to treat a girl he liked. It was at that moment she realized that Artie was destined to be with Tina Cohen-Chang.

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**AN: You guys are the best! Thanks for the insightful reviews/comments. & now it is my unpleasant task to say...**

**Let the angsty-ness commence! :/ **

**Thoughts?**


	3. Fight

A few more years had passed and Tina and Artie were still inseparable. Neither of them blatantly admitted their true feelings for each other but they knew they liked it each other—sort of.

[LAST DAY OF 2nd GRADE]

The bell rang and the kids got ready for lunch in the cafeteria. A brown haired boy chased a brown haired girl out of the classroom with a fake worm, "Come on Rach it wants to kiss you!"

The other students watched on in a group laughing at the sight, "Puck sure has it bad for Rachel." Mercedes shook her head in amusement.

The taller boy of the group nodded vigorously, "Yup he says he wants to lay a big one on her!"

"Finn!" The blonde beauty of the class Quinn Fabray slapped his chest and he choked on his breath. The other kids laughed in amusement as Quinn chased after Finn who was now sprinting away.

"Now that boy has it bad…I swear he's loved Quinn the moment he saw her in pre-k." Mercedes was the girl who knew it all; she knew when all the crushes, relationships, and kisses happened. She was a gossip girl who was on her game.

Tina let out her signature giggle and Artie wrapped his arm around her, "Hey Tee, I gotta meet up with Mr. Bradley about my guitar lessons but I'll see you at break later okay? Save me half a sandwich…"

"With half of my Gatorade okay!" She finished and he nodded in satisfaction.

A small sigh escaped her lips and she was in La La Land until her good friend snapped her out of it, "Artie and Tina sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n…"

"For never going to happen." Tina walked through the cafeteria doors and sat down at her usual spot. Mercedes sat beside her laughing loudly.

"Oh please, I give it two more days and you two will be boyfriend and girlfriend. Trust me!" Tina rolled her eyes and dug into her sandwich. She didn't even want to escalate Mercedes crazy predictions further by letting anything slip. She was smart and sneaky that way.

Instead she spent all of lunch listening to Mercedes gossip about Rachel letting Puck kiss her cheek but making him swear not to tell anyone, watched Finn ogle over Quinn and Puck slip a sincere smile at Rachel as she chomped down on her veggie burger. It was a usual McKinley Elementary day, but she missed the presence of her best friend.

She walked out onto the playground and sat on the swing in the sandbox. She watched as the boys opted for kickball and the girls actually tried to challenge them in a boys versus girls' championship game. This was definitely going to get ugly.

She swung her legs in and out until she was getting some air. Then she felt someone push her even further, she never had to question the surprise guest appearance, "Can't wait for third grade." She said with a bright smile.

He was watching her body fly forwards, "I can't wait for summer, just me and my best friend relaxing, doing whatever we want."

She listened to the swoosh her body made when she swung back and forth, "The sandwich is still in the bag and half the Gatorade's there too, you can go and eat." She knew him too well he thought.

He didn't want to stop pushing her but at the same time he was starving. He walked over to the side and took the sandwich out of her bag.

"This is why I love you Tee." She stopped pushing back and forth. She felt the tinge of pink develop in her cheeks and soon she was sitting on a still swing.

"What did you say?" She asked with a glint in her eye. He devoured the sandwich half and shrugged his shoulders.

"Huh?" He asked then gulped down the blue substance.

"Never mind." She said defeated and walked over to the kickball diamond where the girls were in the outfield.

He sat there trying to think of what he said, it then kicked him later while they were walking home together;_ I love you._

She let herself into his house without looking at him once and then made her way to his refrigerator taking out a bottle of water.

"Tina…" She shook her head and made her way to the family room attached to the kitchen. She slumped on top of the couch and turned on the television. "I know why you're mad and I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean any of it, I was just hungry."

He sat beside her and soon she was sending him daggers with her eyes, "I guess I know how you really feel about me." She stood up abruptly but before she could take a step he pulled her back down.

"I didn't mean that either Tee, I…listen I care about you but…"

Her sensitive demeanor sparked and soon she felt the tears rise in her eyes, "I don't want to talk right now."

She got up again and soon he found her covering her eyes with her hands and rushing to get her backpack, "Stop Tee!"

She quickly got her things and yelled over her shoulder, "Going home, talk to you later." She pushed her way through the door and left him standing there. He felt his eyes shift to the floor and he let out a sigh.

"I was just going to say that I really like you." He shook his head and made his way to the couch.

**AN: Thanks for the reviews & alerts! It's really nice of all of you! **

**I know there are some of you that are concerned with the story b/c the kids seem a lot more mature than pre-k/second graders but this is to help the story when they're older. Just think of them as advanced for their ages. LOL! & I know my descriptions of there POVs are advanced for their age too but it's just the description so you guys can clearly understand what's going on.**

**Anyway, yeah I lied, angst is NEXT chapter. Hopefully have that up tomorrow! Love yah guys! :D **


	4. Crying

Night came and his mom was taking a nap in her bedroom, he was eating dinner quietly in the kitchen when he heard a knock at the door.

He got up and slowly made his way over, he peeped an eye through the peephole. It wasn't his dad; he had a key and was out of town visiting his grandma. He looked closer and saw a pile of black hair.

"Tee?" He pulled it open and the girl went hurling into his arms. She was crying. She locked her arms around his neck and dug her face into his chest; an ocean of tears drenched his shirt in five seconds, "What's wrong?" He asked in his overprotective tone.

He shut the door with one arm and rubbed her head with his other hand. He walked them slowly to the couch in the living room and let her lay into his chest still crying out harshly.

Minutes later his mom ran down the stairs in a panic, "Artie! Baby are you okay?" She turned the corner to find her son consoling his best friend.

"Tina! Oh Tina!" She rushed to their side and looked at Artie who was simply holding her with all of his strength, "Baby you keep an eye on Tina I'm going to call her mom." She walked over to the telephone in the kitchen and rang her best friend.

"What's the matter Tee?" He asked her again. Prior to his earlier question she didn't answer. She was too busy weeping into his chest.

She looked up at him for the first time she had come in and saw her redden eyes, "I'm moving." She said simply. He felt his mouth drop, his eyes widen and soon he felt the water appear in his eyes.

"Tee, no…" He said softly as she dug her face back into his chest. She practically screamed her cries and he softly rubbed her hair with his hand and the center of her back.

She felt him slowly rock her back and forth trying to soothe her but it was no use, his usual comforting arms weren't doing the trick. Now she was jealous that in three months she wouldn't be able to hold onto him like this.

He felt the tears fall from his cheeks and looked up to see his mom holding the phone close to her chest with a pained expression, "I'm sorry Artie." She mouthed to her son. She watched as his face fell over hers and he hugged her tightly never wanting to let go.

"No this isn't fair." His mom heard him say in a muffled tone. She walked out of the room to give the kids space but felt her body collapse against a wall when she heard her son matching the deathly cries of his friend.

The rest of the night the two sat there crying, in the middle of all the tears she explained that her dad was being promoted, and his work required him to move to New York. Her mom was devastated because all of her family and friends were in Lima and now they were moving away from all of that.

He wiped her tears as they slowed down to a drizzle. The down pour came again when she told him that they were leaving in three months and she wouldn't be living next door to him, Sarah, and Richard anymore.

He let out a huffy breath but contained his tears; his best friend was the one moving. She was going to have to do everything new, without him being there like he always had.

She confided in him, he hugged her, she told him her fears, he told her how much he was going to miss her, she kissed him on the cheek, he kissed her on the head, she fell asleep in his arms crying, he rested his head on hers and listened to her sleep that whole night. In the dark his mom placed the familiar blue blanket over them and kissed them both on the head. Sarah called Tina's mom telling her she would be spending the night, most likely for the next three months.

Artie smiled at this but simply held on tighter; scared he would lose his best friend sooner.

In the dark he let the tears escape his eyes and every night that summer he seemed to cry just for a minute thinking about the dark day to come.

**AN: Thanks for the reading / alerts guys! :D**


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